But he stopped keeping. So he doesn't have that either. Additionally his batting dropped of when he kept.

Kallis doesn't bowl often too. and Sanga's keeping was early in his career. If he persisted with it would have averaged more than 40. On other hand if he never kept, would have averaged good 5-10 runs more than present.

Member of the Sanga fan club. (Ugh! it took me so long to become a real fan of his)

He is good, a great for SL and would walk into every side in the world at present and for most of the time he has played (might not have got in Aussie side in 00's) he would have too. Just below ATG as far as world cricket is concerned but at the top of the next level of players for me as is Jayawardene.

Kallis is 'touching Ponting' in batting. He's a top, top batsman. He's got more shots than any of them - even if he is a bit too obdurate to use most of them a lot of the time. He gets some tough runs too, possibly some of the toughest.

Kallis is 'touching Agarkar' in bowling. He's a lazy, reluctant bloke in this regard - he's pretty lucky he's been able to cheap it up against the minnows (where he suddenly wants to bowl loads) and against the tail when the tired opening pair and first change have had their fill with the top order.

I just personally find it undeserving to group him in the same class as Richards, Lara, Sobers, Bradman, Hobbs, Tendulkar, and the like. I consider him an ATG, regardless, I just don't think he can be classed as in the same tier as the aforementioned.

Originally Posted by Psycho Macaque

Hmmm, I think we're going to have to agree to disagree - because if you think that he's up there with Bradman, Lara, Tendulkar, VRichards, Hobbs, Hutton, Sunny and whoever else then I reckon you're loony.

As long as you're lumping Bradman in with those others, both your lists are encompassing more than one class of batsman.

So what? You think Tendulkar and Lara haven't had bouts of mediocrity? I suggest you take a look at their stats again since you don't seem to. Yes I will admit Ponting's worst was longer and worse then their worse but their best was also never as good or long as Ponting's best either. His peak alone where he was miles ahead of both of them alone is enough to put him among both of them and the best of batsmen. Kallis too. In fact I think both have cases to be rated above Viv Richrads who I find is kind of overrated because of his style. A lot like how Wasim Akram is as a bowler.

Ponting is not rated as being in the class of Lara and SRT. Not by his own teammates, not by the cricketing world in general. Either now or during his peak period. He cashed in for a handful of good years, but I saw his whole career and I know why he's not rated with those guys.

In fact I'd take both peak Sanga and peak Dravid over peak Ponting any day of the week. Those guys, as well as being far sounder technically, are flexible and capable of performing in all conditions. As we all know Punter is/was a walking wicket in certain conditions, and this has never really changed throughout his career. If you examine his shuffling across the wicket style critically, you can only wonder at how many times he would have got to fifty, let alone the spurt of huge scores that suddenly boosted his average by nearly 15 points in his years of plenty. Had DRS been available to opposing teams for the bulk of his career I am convinced he would have regularly been given out lbw for shuffling and attempting to whip thru midwicket before settling.

LBW is a very recent weakness for him tbh. If anything it was a strength - bowlers would see him shuffle, target the stumps and disappear through mid-on for four again and again, then look up and realise he was 30* and set.

do you think people will be allowed to make violins?
who's going to make the violins?

Was brilliant down here last tour on some bowling friendly pitches where his team mates decided to flunk it. Won a game by himself in fact, then he went to Australia and annihilated them before being sawn off on 192.

That was such as shocker - I can hardly believe it every time I see it.

It seems to me that in 20 years time when we're all still doing ATG Drafts someone will post;

'And I choose the great Kumar Sangakkara as my No.3'

To which several people reply;

'Oh hell, I was going to pick him, you ALWAYS get him. It's not fair. Booo hooo.'

Maybe I am being picky but i'd have him below Ponting, Waugh S, Dravid, Tendulkar, Kallis, Lara, Richards and Miandad who I regard as ATG. He is certainly on the next level down and a level above any English players of the last 20 years so I don't consider myself being biased against him. Just can't put too many players in ATG status or it devalues it totally.

Ponting is not rated as being in the class of Lara and SRT. Not by his own teammates, not by the cricketing world in general. Either now or during his peak period. He cashed in for a handful of good years, but I saw his whole career and I know why he's not rated with those guys.

In fact I'd take both peak Sanga and peak Dravid over peak Ponting any day of the week. Those guys, as well as being far sounder technically, are flexible and capable of performing in all conditions. As we all know Punter is/was a walking wicket in certain conditions, and this has never really changed throughout his career. If you examine his shuffling across the wicket style critically, you can only wonder at how many times he would have got to fifty, let alone the spurt of huge scores that suddenly boosted his average by nearly 15 points in his years of plenty. Had DRS been available to opposing teams for the bulk of his career I am convinced he would have regularly been given out lbw for shuffling and attempting to whip thru midwicket before settling.